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"Whom have we here?" thought Elise, with secret anxiety. "He is a fop--a
perfect fop! How in all the world could Bishop B. select him as teacher
for my poor little children? He will think much more of looking at
himself in the glass than of looking after them. The fine breast-pin
that he is wearing is of false stones. He laughs to show his white
teeth. An actual fop--a fool, perhaps! There, now, he looks at himself
again in the glass!"

Elise sought to catch her husband's eye, but he evidently avoided
meeting hers; yet something of discontent, and something of trouble too,
showed itself in his manner. The Candidate, on the contrary, appeared
not in the slightest degree troubled, but reclined perfectly at his ease
in an armchair, and cast searching glances on three ladies, who
evidently were strangers in the company. The eldest of these, who kept
on sewing incessantly, appeared to be upwards of forty, and was
distinguished by a remarkably quiet, bright, and friendly aspect. Judge
Frank and she talked much together. The other two appeared neither of
them to have attained her twentieth year: the one was pale and fair; the
other a pretty brunette; both of them were agreeable, and looked good
and happy. These ladies were introduced to Jacobi as Miss Evelina
Berndes and her adopted daughters, Laura and Karin. Laura had always one
of the children on her knee, and it was upon her that his eyes were most
particularly fixed. It was indeed a very pretty picture, which was
formed by Laura, with the lovely little Gabriele on her knee, decorated
with the flowers, bracelets, necklace, in short, with all the pretty
things that just before had ornamented herself.

The conversation soon became general, and was remarkably easy, and the
Candidate had an opportunity of taking his part well and interestingly
in it whilst speaking of certain distinguished men in the University
from which he was just come. Elise mentioned one celebrated man whom she
had a great desire to see, upon which Jacobi said he had lately made a
little sketch of him, which, on her expressing a wish to see, he
hastened to fetch.

He returned with a portfolio containing many drawings and pictures;
partly portraits, and partly landscapes, from his own pencil; they were
not deficient in talent, and afforded pleasure. First one portrait was
recognised and then another, and at last the Candidate himself. The
children were quite enchanted, and thronged with enthusiasm round the
table. The Candidate placed some of them on his knee, and seemed
particularly observant of their pleasure, and it was not long,
therefore, before they appeared entirely to forget that he was only a
new acquaintance--all at least excepting Louise, who held herself rather
_fiere_, and "the baby," which was quite ungracious towards him.

Above all the pictures which the portfolio contained, were the children
most affected and enchanted by one in sepia, which represented a girl
kneeling before a rose-bush, from which she was gathering roses, whilst
a lyre lay against a gravestone near her.

"Oh, how sweet! how divinely beautiful!" exclaimed they. Petrea seemed
as if she actually could not remove her eyes from the charming picture,
which the Candidate himself also seemed to regard with a fatherly
affection, and which was the crown of his little collection.

It was the custom at the Franks, that every evening, as soon as the
clock had struck eight, the little herd of children, conducted by the
Queen-bee, withdrew to their bed-chamber, which had once occasioned the
wakeful Petrea to say that night was the worst thing God had ever made:
for which remark she received a reproving glance from the Queen-bee,
accompanied by the maxim, "that people should not talk in that way."

In order, however, to celebrate the present day, which was a remarkable
one, the children were permitted to take supper with their parents, and
even to sit up as late as they did. The prospect of this indulgence, the
Candidate, the pictures, all combined to elevate the spirits of the
children in no ordinary degree; so much so indeed that Petrea had the
boldness, whilst they were regaling on roast chicken, to propose to the
Candidate that the picture of the girl and the rose-bush should be put
up for a prize on the breaking of a merrythought between them;
promising, that if she had the good fortune to win it, she would give as
a recompense a picture of her own composition, which should represent
some scene in a temple. The Queen-bee appeared scandalised at her
sister's proposal, and shook her little wise head at her.

The mother also violently opposed Petrea's proposition; and she, poor
girl, became scarlet, and deeply abashed, before the reproving glances
which were cast upon her; yet the Candidate was good-natured enough,
after the first astonishment was over, to yield in the most cheerful
manner to Petrea's proposal, and zealously to declare that the affair
should be managed just as she would. He accordingly set himself, with an
appearance of great accuracy and solemnity, to measure the length of
both limbs of the merrythought, and then counted three; the mother all
this time hoping within herself that he would so manage it that he
himself should retain the head--but no! the head remained in Petrea's
hand, and she uttered a loud cry of joy. After supper, the parents again
opposed what had taken place; but the Candidate was so cheerful and so
determined that it should remain as it was settled already, that Petrea,
the happiest of mortals, ventured to carry out the girl and rose-bush;
yet, she did not miss a motherly warning by the way, which mingled some
tears with her joy. The Candidate had, in the mean time, on account of
his kindness towards the children, and his good-nature towards Petrea,
made a favourable impression on the parents.

"Who knows," said Elise to her husband, "but that he may turn out very
well. He has, probably, his faults, but he has his good qualities too;
there is something really very agreeable in his voice and countenance;
but he must leave off that habit of looking at himself so continually in
the glass."

"I feel assured that he must have worth," said the Judge, "from the
recommendation of my friend B. This vanity, and these foppish habits of
his, we shall soon know how to get rid of; the man himself is
unquestionably good; and, dear Elise, be kind to him, and manage so that
he shall feel at home with us."

The children also, in their place of rest, made their observations on
the Candidate.

"I think he is much handsomer than my father," said little Petrea.

"I think," said the Queen-bee, in a tone of correction, "that nobody can
be more perfect than my father."

"That is true, excepting mamma," exclaimed Eva, out of her little bed.

"Ah," said Petrea, "I like him so much; he has given me that lovely
picture. Do you know what I shall call that girl? I shall call her Rosa;
and I'll tell you a long story about her. There was once upon a
time----"

All the sisters listened eagerly, for Petrea could relate better and
prettier stories than any of them. It was therefore said among
themselves that Petrea was very clever; but as the Queen-bee was
desirous that Petrea should not build much on this opinion, she now
listened to her history without bestowing upon it one token of applause,
although it was found to be sufficiently interesting to keep the whole
little auditorium awake till midnight.

"What will become of my preserves?" thought Elise, one day as she
remarked the quantity which vanished from the plate of the Candidate;
but when that same evening she saw the little Gabriele merrily, and
without reproof, pulling about his curls; when she saw him join the
children at their play, and make every game which they played
instructive to them; when she saw him armed with a great paper weapon,
which he called his sword, and deal about blows to those who counted
false, thereby exciting greater activity of mind as well as more mirth,
she thought to herself, "he may eat just as much preserves as he likes;
I will take care that he never goes short of them."

If, however, the Candidate rose higher in the regards of one party,
there still was another with which his actions did not place him in the
best point of view. Brigitta, to whom the care of some few things in the
house was confided, began to look troubled, and out of sorts. For
several days, whatever her cause of annoyance might be, she preserved
silence, till one evening, when expanding the nostrils of her little
snubby nose, she thus addressed her mistress:

"The gracious lady must be so good as to give out to the cook just twice
as much coffee as usual; because if things are to go on in this way, we
cannot do with less. He, the master there, empties the little coffee-pot
himself every morning! Never, in all my life, have I seen such a
coffee-bibber!"

The following evening came a new announcement of trouble.

"Now it is not alone a coffee-bibber," said poor Brigitta, with a gloomy
countenance and wide-staring eyes, "but a calf it is, and a devourer of
rusks! What do you think, gracious lady, but the rusk-basket, which I
filled only yesterday, is to-day as good as empty--only two rusks and
two or three crumbs remaining! Then for cream! Why every morning he
empties the jug!"

"Ah, it is very good," said Elise, mildly, yet evasively, "that he
enjoys things so much."

"And only look, in heaven's name!" lamented poor Brigitta another day,
"he is also quite a sugar-rat! Why, dear, gracious lady, he must put in
at least twenty pieces of sugar into one cup of coffee, or he never
could empty a sugar-basin as he does! I must beg you to give mo the key
of the chest, that I may fill it again. God grant that all this may have
a good ending!"

Brigitta could venture to say much, for she had grown old in the house;
had carried Elise as a child in her arms; and from affection to her, had
followed her when she left her father's house: besides this, she was a
most excellent guardian for the children; but as now these complaints of
hers were too frequently repeated, Elise said to her seriously: "Dear
Brigitta, let him eat and drink as much as he likes, without any
observation: I would willingly allow him a pound of sugar and coffee a
day, if he only became, as I hope he may, a good friend and preceptor
for the children."

Brigitta walked away quite provoked, and grumbling to herself: "Well,
well!" said she, "old Brita can be silent, yes, that she can;--well,
well! we shall see what will be the end of it. Sugar and rusks he eats,
and salt-fish he can't eat!--well, well!"

All this time Jacobi was passing his days in peace, little dreaming of
the clouds which were gathering over his head, or of his appellations of
coffee-bibber, calf, rusk-devourer, and sugar-rat; and with each
succeeding day it became more evident that Elise's hopes of him were
well grounded. He developed more and more a good and amiable
disposition, and the most remarkable talents as teacher. The children
became attached to him with the most intense affection; nor did their
obedience and reverence for him as preceptor prevent them, in their
freer hours, from playing him all kind of little pranks. Petrea was
especially rich in such inventions; and he was too kind, too much
delighted with their pleasure, not willingly to assist, or even at times
allow himself to be the butt of their jokes.

Breakfast, which for the elder members of the family was commonly served
at eleven o'clock, furnished the children with an excellent opportunity
for their amusement. The Candidate was particularly fond of eggs, and
therefore, when under a bulky-looking napkin he expected to find some,
and laid hasty hands on it, he not unfrequently discovered, instead of
eggs, balls of worsted, playing-balls, and other such indigestible
articles; on which discovery of his, a stifled laughter would commonly
be heard at the door, and a cluster of children's heads be visible,
which he in pretended anger assailed with the false eggs, and which
quickly withdrew amid peals of laughter. Often too, when, according to
old Swedish usage, he would take a glass of spirits, he found pure water
instead of Cognac in his mouth; and the little advocates of temperance
were always near enough to enjoy his astonishment, although sufficiently
distant, also, that not one drop of the shower which was then sent at
them should reach them, though it made them leap high enough for
delight. And really it was wonderful how often these little surprises
could be repeated, and how the Candidate let himself so constantly be
surprised. But he was too much occupied by his own thoughts (the
thoughts of course of a student of philosophy!) in order to be on his
guard against the tricks of these young merry-andrews. One day----

But before we proceed further we must observe, that although the
toilette of the Candidate seemed externally to be always so well
supplied, yet still it was, in fact, in but a very indifferent
condition. No wonder, therefore, was it, that though his hat outwardly
was always well brushed, and was apparently in good order, yet that it
had within a sadly tattered lining.

One day, therefore, as the Candidate had laid his hat in a corner of the
room, and was sitting near the sofa in a very earnest conversation,
Henrik, Petrea, and Eva gathered themselves about that symbol of freedom
with the most suspicious airs and gestures of conspiracy. Nobody paid
any attention to them, when after awhile the Candidate rose to leave the
room, and going through the door would have put on his hat--but, behold,
a very singular revolution had taken place within it, and a mass of tin
soldiers, stones, matches, and heaven knows what besides, came rattling
down upon his head; and even one little chimney-sweeper fell astride on
his nose. Nothing could compare with the immeasurable delight of the
children at the astonishment of the Candidate, and the comic grimaces
and head-shakings with which he received this their not very polite
jest.

No wonder was it, therefore, that the children loved the Candidate so
well.

The little Queen-bee, however, who more and more began to reckon herself
as one of the grown people, and only very rarely took part in the
conspiracies against the Candidate, shook her head at this prank of her
brother and sisters, and looked out a new piece of dark silk from her
drawer (Louise was a hoarder by nature), possessed herself secretly of
the Candidate's hat, and with some little help from her mother, had then
her secret pleasure also, and could laugh in her own sleeve at his
amazement when he discovered a bran new lining in his hat.

"Our little Queen-bee is a sensible little girl," said the Judge,
well-pleased, to his wife, who had made him a third in this plot; and
after that day she was called both by father and mother "our sensible
little Queen-bee."

Scarcely had Jacobi been three weeks in the family of the Franks,
before Elise felt herself disposed to give him a new title, that of
Disputer-General, so great was the ability he discovered to dispute on
every subject, from human free-will to rules for cookery; nay, even for
the eating of eggs.

On this subject Elise wrote thus to her sister Cecilia:--"But however
polite and agreeable the Candidate may be generally, still he is just as
wearisome and obstinate in disputation; and as there is nobody in the
house that makes any pretension to rival him in certain subtleties of
argument, he is in great danger of considering himself a miracle of
metaphysical light, which he is not, I am persuaded, by any means, since
he has much more skill in rending down than in building up, in
perplexing than in making clear. Ernst is no friend of metaphysical
hair-splitting, and when Jacobi begins to doubt the most perceptible and
most certain things--'what is perceptible, what is certain?' the
Candidate will inquire--he grows impatient, shrugs his shoulders, goes
to his writing-table, and leaves me to combat it out, although, for my
part, I would gladly have nothing to do with it. Should I, however, for
awhile carry on the contest boldly, the scholar then will overwhelm me
with learned words and arguments, and then I too flee, and leave him
_maitre du champ de bataille_. He believes then that I am convinced, at
least of his power, which yet, however, is not the case; and if fortune
do not bestow upon me a powerful ally against him, he may imagine so.
Nevertheless, I am not without some curiosity to hear a system which he
has promised to explain to me this evening, and according to which
everything in the world ought to be so good and consistent. These
subjects have always an interest for me, and remind me of the time when
you and I, Cecilia, like two butterflies, went fluttering over the
earth, pausing about its flowers, and building up for ourselves pretty
theories on the origin of life and all things. Since then I had almost
forgotten them. Think only if the mythology of our youth should present
itself again in the system of the Candidate!"

Here Elise was interrupted by the entrance of the troop of children.

"Might we borrow Gabriele?" "Mother, lend us Gabriele!" besought several
coaxing little voices.

"Gabriele, wilt thou not come and play with us? Oh, yes, certainly thou
wilt!" and with these words Petrea held up a gingerbread heart, winch
so operated on the heart of the little one, that she yielded to the
wishes of brother and sisters.

"Ah, but you must take great care of her, my little angel!" said the
mother; "Louise, dear, take her under your charge; look after her, and
see that no harm befal her!"

"Yes, of course," said Louise, with a consequential countenance; and the
jubilant children carried off the borrowed treasure, and quickly was
their sport in full operation in the hall.

Elise took her work, and the Candidate, with a look of great importance,
seated himself before her, in order to initiate her into the mysteries
of his system. Just, however, at the moment when he had opened his mouth
to begin, after having hemmed a few times, a shrill little barking, and
the words "your most devoted servant," were heard at the door, and a
person entered curtseying with an air of conscious worth, said with a
little poodle in her arms--a person with whom we will have the honour to
commence a new chapter.

FOOTNOTES:

[2] Borrowing fire; a Swedish child's play.

CHAPTER III.

THE CHAMBERLAIN'S LADY.

Where is there not _haute volee_? Above the heavenly hosts are outspread
the wings of cherubim and seraphim; and in the poultry-yards of earth
the geese exalt their wings high over the other lesser feathered
creatures. It belongs to the ordination of the world.

The Chamberlain's lady, Gunilla W., belonged incontestibly to the
highest _haute volee_ in the excellent city of X., where we have had the
honour of making the acquaintance of the family of the Franks. She was
the sister of Governor Stjernhoek, and inhabited the third story of the
house of which the Franks inhabited the second, and Evelina Berndes the
first.

This lady had spent her youth at court, and passed many a day of
wearisome constraint, and many a night in making those clothes which
were to conceal from the world how poor Miss Gunilla was; yet neither
night nor day did she complain either of constraint or of poverty, for
she possessed under a plain exterior a strong and quiet spirit.

An old aunt used to preach to her thus: "Eat, that thou mayst grow fat;
if thou art fat, thou wilt grow handsome; and if thou art handsome, thou
wilt get married."

Miss Gunilla, who never ate much, and who did not eat one mouthful more
for this warning, grew neither fat nor handsome; yet on account of her
excellent disposition she was beloved by every one, and especially by a
young rich Chamberlain of the court, who, through his own good qualities
and excellent heart, won her affections, and thus Miss Gunilla became
Mistress. After this, in the circle of her friends she was accustomed to
be called Mrs. Gunilla; which freedom we also shall sometimes take with
her here.

Shortly after her marriage, and in consequence of cold, her husband
became a sad invalid. For thirty years she lived separated from the
world, a faithful and lonely attendant of the sick man; and what she
bore and what she endured the world knew not, for she endured all in
silence. For several years her husband could not bear the light; she
learned, therefore, to work in darkness, and thus made a large
embroidered carpet. "Into this carpet," said she, as she once spoke
accidentally of herself, "have I worked many tears."

One of the many hypochondriacal fancies of her husband was, that he was
about to fall into a yawning abyss, and only could believe himself safe
so long as he held the hand of his wife. Thus for one month after
another she sate by his couch.

At length the grave opened for him; and thanking his wife for the
happiness he had enjoyed in the house of sickness on earth, he sank to
rest, in full belief of a land of restoration beyond. When he was gone,
it seemed to her as if she were as useless in the world as an old
almanack; but here also again her soul raised itself under its burden,
and she regulated her life with peace and decision. In course of years
she grew more cheerful, and the originality of her talents and
disposition which nature had given to her, and which, in her solitude,
had undisturbedly followed their own bent, brought a freshness with them
into social life, into which she entered at first rather from resolution
than from feeling at ease in it.

"The Lord ordains all things for the best;" that had always been, and
still remained, the firm anchorage of her soul. But it was not this
alone which gave to her the peace and gentleness which announced
themselves in her voice, and diffused a true grace over her aged and
not handsome countenance; they had yet another foundation: for even as
the sunken sun throws the loveliest light upon the earth which it has
left, so does the holy memory of a beloved but departed human being on
the remaining solitary friend. Mrs. Gunilla herself lived in such a
remembrance: she knew it not, but after the death of her husband the
dark pictures of his suffering vanished more and more, and his own form,
purified by patience and suffering, rose continually higher in its noble
glorification; it beamed into her soul, and her soul became brightened
thereby. Seldom mentioned she the name of her husband; but when she did
so, it was like a breath of summer air in voice and countenance.

She collected good people about her, and loved to promote their
happiness; and whenever there was a young couple whose narrow
circumstances, or whose fears for the future, filled them with anxiety,
or a young but indigent man who was about to fall into debt and
difficulty, Mrs. Gunilla was ever at hand, although in most cases behind
others. She had nevertheless her faults; and these, as we proceed, we
shall become acquainted with.

We now hastily sketch her portrait the size of life. Age between fifty
and sixty; figure tall, stiff, well-made, not too thin--beside Jeremias
Muntor she might be called stout--complexion, pale yellow; the nose and
chin coming together, the mouth fallen in; the eyes grey and small,
forehead smooth, and agreeably shaded by silver hair; the hands still
handsome, and between the thumb and delicate tip of the forefinger a
pinch of snuff, which was commonly held in certain perspective towards
the nose, whilst with an elbow resting on the arm of sofa or easy-chair
she gave little lectures, or read aloud, for it was one of her
weaknesses to suppose that she knew everything.

During her long hermit-life she had been accustomed wholly to neglect
her toilet, and this neglect she found it difficult afterwards to
overcome; and her old silk gown, from which the wadding peeped out from
many a hole, especially at the elbows; her often-mended collar, and her
drooping cap, the ribbons of which were flecked with many a stain of
snuff, were always a trouble to Elise's love of order and purity.
Notwithstanding all this, there was a certain air about Mrs. Gunilla
which carried off all; and with her character, rank, property, and
consideration, she was _haute volee_, spite of torn gown and
snuff-beflecked ribbons, and had great influence among the best society
of the city.

She considered herself somewhat related to Elise, was very fond of her,
and used very often to impart to her opinions on education (N. B.--Mrs.
Gunilla never had children), on which account many people in the city
accused Elise of weakness towards the _haute volee_, and the
postmistress Bask and the general-shopkeeper Suur considered it quite as
much a crime as a failing.

There was in Mrs. Gunilla's voice, manners, and bearing, a something
very imposing; her curtsey was usually very stately and low, and this
brings us again to her entrance into Elise's room. Elise, the moment she
entered, quickly rose and welcomed her, introducing Jacobi at the same
time.

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